The Ultimate Guide to Music Distribution for Independent Musicians: How to Get Your Music on All Major Platforms

Now is the best time to be an independent artist and get your music on major platforms. The need to be signed to a label is not needed in the current market. Artists like Chance the Rapper and Macklemore, have broken these myths years ago.

Yes, having a label may get you through more doors and deals but if your music resonates enough, you will eventually get those. Independent artists are getting their music out there easier than ever now and you can be next.

Getting your music in the hands of influential people can do wonders for your music and your brand. There are some ways that you can get this to happen. There are some paid ways how to upload music to Spotify, but they’re also free ways to get there.

We’ll need to discuss streaming platforms first, then get into the ways to get your music on these platforms. Through playlists, social media, and music distributors.

What are Streaming Platforms?

Streaming services have come on strong over the past ten years and it was not hard to see coming. With the increase in pirated music, the music industry needed a way to get their sales back. Websites like Napster were eventually taken down because too many people were using them.

Youtube was made in 2005, and Pandora if you still remember what that is. Even SoundCloud was created in 2007, these were, you could say, the first streaming services. Streaming has totally changed the way we listen to music and there is no turning back.

The great thing about streaming is that you can listen to thousands or millions of songs all without downloading them to your device. A great question is how to upload music to Spotify or streaming services.

Now there are sites that let you easily do this for a small fee once per year. Instead of paying each time you want to upload a song. Not only is this convenient but it saves you a lot of money. That’s not it, you keep 100% of the earnings from that song which still makes you an independent artist. This eliminates the middleman, so you don’t have to sign any contracts.

Create a Playlist

If you are on streaming platforms but don’t have many songs to share, create a playlist. The playlist should have the same energy or vibe as your music and mix those together. If people really vibe with the concept they will continue to share.

The more that playlist is shared the more listeners you could have for your song, which could eventually get it seen by other platforms and artists. If you don’t know how to upload music to Spotify, do that first and create a playlist as fast as you can. This is one of the best ways to reach listeners you may never think of.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of the most powerful tools on this earth right now. The effect it has on people is insane. If you use social media right it can garner the attention of millions of people. Some artists get millions of a few in a matter of hours when they post.

The great thing about social media is there are numerous sites you could use. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Youtube, and many more. Posting your music on all those you are bound to have some people listen to your records.

Another plus about social media is that you can get paid for those views as well. So not only can you eventually end up on streaming platforms getting paid, but social media as well.

What Are Music Distributors

Music distributors have been helping independent artists for a long time get their music out to the public. It is important to get music out on streaming platforms because you can connect with millions of listeners but also get paid for it.

Depending on how many times it’s streamed you can monetize it forever. These music distributor sites allow anyone to know how to upload music to Spotify. It’s affordable and easy to use. You can monetize and get paid every month depending on how many listeners you get.

The only thing about it is the connections, who is listening to you and how are they gonna find out about you. This is where you have to put in the work to network with your community and those on the internet.

For a small fee once a year you may become the biggest artist of the year. Now indie artists are so accessible they are winning Grammys on the biggest stage because they took a risk. Streaming is showing no sign of slowing down, so it’s not too late to start now.